Beer Man Joins Cowboy Crowd

IRVING, TEXAS — For the first time, beer and wine will be sold inside Texas Stadium when the Dallas Cowboys host the Los Angeles Raiders in an exhibition game Monday night.

Voters in Irving overwhelmingly approved a referendum Saturday that exempts the stadium from a city ordinance banning the sale of alcoholic beverages anywhere except restaurants.

State Sen. Bob Glasgow introduced a bill Wednesday that would validate city ordinances regulating the sale of alcoholic beverages and allow the sale of alcoholic beverages inside Texas Stadium.

Sunday, after the voters` mandate in Irving, the Senate approved Glasgow`s bill 31-0 and sent the measure to the House for its concurrence.

Regardless of when the Legislature moves to ratify the bill, beer will be sold at the Raiders-Cowboys game. Saturday`s vote validated a temporary alcohol permit.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had sought the right to sell beer in Texas Stadium, but Irving city officials opposed any change.

The Cowboys filed suit, claiming Irving`s ordinance was unconstitutional, and Irving officials proposed the vote on exempting the stadium from the ordinance in return for Jones` agreement to drop the suit if the exemption won approval.